Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic, and Postmodern Perspectives

Offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to the study of organizations and organizing processes. It encourages an even-handed appreciation of the different perspectives contributing to our knowledge of organizations and challenges readers to broaden their intellectual reach. Organization Theory is in three parts: BL Part I introduces the multi-perspective approach. BL Part II presents many ways in which organizations can be analyzed - as entities within an environment, as social structures, technologies, cultures and physical structures, and as the products of power and political processes. BL Part III explores applications of organization theory to the practical matters of organizational design and change, and introduces the latest perspectives on the horizons of organization theory, including complex adaptive systems, organizational identity theory, critical realism, network theory, aesthetics, and organizational learning. Online Resource Centre For lecturers: PowerPoint slides, exam questions, teachig suggestions, a discussion forum, case studies and exercises with instructor's notes. For Students: annotated web links, and discussion questions.